


Arc: Prometheus

by EndlessSpook, Operator Yaku (TheHonkmaster)



Category: Warframe
Genre: Angst, Blood, Body Horror, Fluff, Gore, Horror, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Nudity, Mentions of Sexual Content, Mind Control, Murder, Other, Torture, Violence, Weight Loss Mentions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-20 16:56:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13722015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EndlessSpook/pseuds/EndlessSpook, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHonkmaster/pseuds/Operator%20Yaku





	1. Chapter 1

“Why should I tell  _you_  what happened?”

“Because I’m–” Huon took a breath and did his best to not punch the condescending Orokin in front of him. Jabali watched from the doorway, his expression bleak. “Because I need to know.”

Sinne examined him with a critical eye. “You weren’t worthy of my cousin’s affection. They deserved better than a clone like you. That’s why you weren’t on the mission. Only the most elite fighters should be allowed to fight alongside the Tenno; you are not among them and you never will be. What my cousin saw in you, I’ll never know. You’re as pathetic as the rest of the Grineer.”

Sinne stared him down, their posture perfect – just like the rest of them. Even their prosthetics were gilded and beautiful, sculpted for both aesthetic and function. They stood tall, their hair in a single, smooth plait that draped elegantly over their shoulder. All that perfection was just  _begging_ to be shattered; their cool gaze raked across him and the corner of their mouth quirked up. “No response, soldier? Typical. All that gene decay must’ve gotten to your brain as well.”

Huon couldn’t stop himself. He punched Sinne.

——————————————————————————————

**Grineer Galleon.**

Yaku’ jogged beside Sinne and their unit, piloting their Equinox. Somewhere ahead of them lurked a Phorid; they could hear its shrieks the moment they stepped onto the abandoned ship and felt its whispering at the edges of their mind. They hadn’t yet revealed their Infestation to Sinne.

The larger Caddo and their unit kept up a brisk pace, hardly breaking a sweat even in their heavy armor. Each one of the Grineer – for Yaku’ understood that Sinne was Grineer, though they hated admitting it – wore a modified gas mask to keep out Infested spores and the comms picked up every breath, giving Yaku’ a convenient distraction from the influence nudging at them.

“We’re getting close.” Sinne’s voice startled them after nobody speaking for several minutes. “There’s a higher concentration of Infestation up ahead with a massive lifeform in the center.”

Yaku’ twitched involuntarily and glanced at their cousin, their expression unreadable behind the Equinox’s blank faceplate. “Can… Can you detect any other Infestation?” they asked, a jolt of fear running through their bones.

“Nothing unusual, just what’s around us. Not even your Warframe shows up except for what’s on its feet. Why, did you see something?”

“I was just wondering how extensive that thing is.”

“Mm.” Sinne finally looked in their direction, their face impassive, then looked away. “Couple hundred meters until we’re there,” they informed their unit. “Seal your audio channels, everyone. Don’t let its whispering get to you.”

The answering static pop signalled the unit’s obedience to their leader. Even the mics shut off, leaving only Sinne and Yaku’ on the same frequency. The Tenno expected their cousin to say something to them, but Sinne remained silent. Yaku’ frowned internally and adjusted their grip on their opticor.

The Grineer sprang to action when the Phorid came into view. Yaku’ taunted the near-sentient beast, flicking their fingers and leaving it open to attack as they danced around it, over it, constantly forcing it to turn and recalculate its every move.

_Revoke the frailties of flesh,_ it sang at the Tenno as they darted past and blasted it with a shot from their opticor.  _Let us in. Assimilate, Lyaké._

“Leave me alone!” they screamed, firing again. “I’m not going to join you!”

Sinne glanced over at their cousin and frowned, but returned to shooting the Infested monster. The Phorid shook itself violently and screamed, and the shockwave that erupted from it nearly knocked Sinne’s unit off their feet. It stomped its mangled foot and hissed into the Tenno’s head. 

_We will take your cousin instead._

“Wh– Sinne, shut off your audio channels!” they shouted – but they were far too slow.

To their right, Sinne lowered their weapon. Behind the modified mask they stared at the Phorid, their posture relaxing as they took a step forward. “What… do you mean? Aaru can’t be alive,” they murmured.

Yaku’ tried to move, only to find that they’d sunk into the spongy ground up to their ankles. They tried to speak, only to find that their throat closed up every time they formed a word. They could only watch as Sinne’s entire unit were wrapped in Infested tissue, turned into unwilling cocoons that quickly stilled.

Sinne moved closer to the Phorid and it mirrored them. “How do you know?” they asked, reaching out to touch the Infested’s armor. “I thought… he was in the cryopod beside me… Will you show me? Will you… tell me?”

Yaku’ grabbed one leg with both hands and pulled, but the spongy ground refused to yield. They stuck their fingers into it and scraped at the material that trapped them, begging for it to give. They glanced up to see Sinne’s armored form racing away from them, calling their long-dead husband’s name. Yaku’ straightened abruptly and reached for their cousin. “Sinne, no!” they yelled, their voice finally cooperating. “Sinne, please, it’s lying!”

_Another for the horde,_ the Phorid whispered gleefully.  _Thank you, Tenno._

Yaku’ watched the Phorid as it began to consume the cocoons one by one. They knew what their options were: transfer out of their Equinox and give chase to Sinne, and therefore risking ferality and revealing their Infestation, or remaining trapped in the ground and fighting off the Phorid by themself and risking being eaten. 

They dropped their opticor. “You’re all I have left…”

With a brilliant flash of light they transferred out of their Equinox. “I’m coming, Sinne! Stop running!”

Their cognitive relay flickered from the sudden strain and they stumbled, but kept running after their cousin. They could hear Sinne up ahead, the larger Caddo’s feet pounding hard on the metal floors, and they pushed themself harder to catch up. Their breathing grew ragged, their muscles burned, their lungs heaved, but they refused to stop. 

The Orokin came into view. Yaku’ clambered up a ramp; they could’ve easily Void dashed, but their cognitive relay would’ve shut off and they would be left slumped on the ground, watching their cousin leave. Instead they poured every ounce of effort into closing the short distance between the now-still Sinne and grabbed their arm.

Sinne turned slowly, tearing their gaze from the mass of Infested boils rippling in front of them. They looked down at their cousin. “…Lyaké?”

Their voice sounded distant, as if Sinne wasn’t fully there. Yaku’ knew their time was limited; the Phorid would be finished consuming the cocoons soon and would come after both of them. They sucked in deep breaths and shook the larger Caddo. “It’s not real,” they panted. “He’s dead. He’s been dead since you woke up. You  _know_ this, Sinne.”

“I don’t. I don’t know this. I never saw his face. Lyaké, my husband could be alive–”

“No, he can’t! He’s dead! He never would’ve survived this long!” they cried as tears welled up in their eye. “Sinne, you’re all I have left for family! Don’t let the monster convince you of something that isn’t real. I’m here, Sinne.  _I’m_ real. I’m  _alive._ Please, knock it off. These are delusions; your mind is working against you! Listen to what I’m saying!”

Sinne stared down at the Tenno, at their desperate expression and at the tears rolling down their cheek. “He’s not…?”

“No!” Yaku’ shook Sinne again. “He’s dead! Aaru is  _dead!”_  

The Infestation pressed against their thoughts and they shuddered, their grip loosening momentarily. When they regained their control they stepped away from Sinne and the boils. “Get to extraction. Leave, before it gets to you again.  _Please,_ Sinne,” they begged, already feeling their eyestalk jumping against the eyepatch. “I can’t lose you.”

Sinne blinked once, twice, then twitched and rolled their shoulders with a sharp gasp. “Ach. He’s– Oh, stars above,” they whispered, turning to stagger away from the boils.

“Go, Sinne. Go!” they urged, shoving Sinne towards extraction. Yaku’ stumbled after them, choking on the thick air. They tasted spores on their tongue; though the spores couldn’t harm them, they tasted like blood. Yaku’ spat and coughed to clear their lungs before they kept following Sinne.

“Lyaké, what about your Warframe?”

“It’s fine, just keep going!”

They kept up with Sinne until extraction came into view. Yaku’ stopped and leaned heavily against the door frame, pounding their chest with a fist and coughing violently. When Sinne turned they held up a hand and shook their head. “No, no. I’m okay. I’m immune, I’ll just–”

They dissolved into another coughing fit and Sinne took a step towards them; they snarled, actually  _snarled_ at Sinne. “Don’t come near me. Extract  _now._ Do it. I’ll follow you after I get my Equinox back.”

Sinne paused. Yaku’ could see the gears turning in their mind as they considered their options: grab the Tenno, extract, and risk exposing more to the Infestation, or simply run.

“Go!” Yaku’ screamed.

Sinne backed up and nodded. “I’ll see you soon, Lyaké,” they promised, and climbed into the waiting ship.

The moment the ship disappeared from view, Yaku’ sagged against the doorway. 

_Assimilate, Lyaké,_ the Infestation sang; another shudder ran through them and they collapsed to their hands and knees. The Infestation’s influence rolled across their thoughts like a tsunami, sweeping their consciousness up in the current and sending them spiraling out of control.

Their body gave out. They landed heavily on a shoulder and slid forward on their chest as the Infestation sank into their mind with hot tendrils, wrapping around them like the cocoons around Sinne’s forgotten unit. They let out a broken groan and their muscles spasmed; they were forced into a tiny corner of their mind, their body flooded with the Infestation’s will.

Yaku’ gave one final, weak twitch. They felt the Infestation  _laugh._ Their limbs moved of their own accord, pushing their body up into a sitting position, and the voices hit them all at once – a screaming, wailing wall of unceasing pain, deafening and inescapable. As their consciousness retreated, the voices coalesced into one.

_We embrace you._


	2. Chapter 2

“Woah, Huon, stop!”

Jabali’s words only vaguely registered to Huon as he and Sinne fell to the ground. The surprise attack gave him an edge and he pinned them with his weight, straddling their stomach. He dodged their grasping hands once, twice, and responded with vicious blows to their face and a wordless roar.

“Huon, enough!” Jabali shouted, pulling at the back of Huon’s shirt. “That’s enough!”

Huon shook off the older man and gripped Sinne by the throat, leaning over their bloodied face. “I should kill you,” he snarled.

Sinne laughed breathily and their face split into a grin stained red. Blood flowed steadily from their broken nose and busted lips and a pink tongue darted out to taste it. “And what? Jeopardize your only hope at finding their body?”

“They’re not dead!” Huon snapped, slamming their head against the floor. “Stop acting like they are,  _coward.”_ He drew back his arm and curled his fingers into a tight fist, preparing to strike the Orokin again.

Between one moment and the next, Jabali acted. He dropped into the Void and barreled into Huon, throwing the heavier man across the room. In the same breath he threw out two long tendrils of water that pinned both Huon and Sinne to the nearest surface.  _“Enough!”_ he yelled, standing between them. “That’s  _enough._ Both of you, stop it. You’re acting like children. Start acting like the soldiers you are.”

Sinne spat blood at Huon and the Meridian captain struggled to make a rude gesture in return. Jabali groaned in frustration. “Okay, listen. We all want my sibling back. We can’t actually  _do_ that if we keep fighting amongst ourselves, so get it together. If I let you two go, you first have to promise you won’t immediately try to rip out each other’s throats. Deal?”

“You have my word as an Orokin.”

“That means  _nothing,”_ Huon growled. “You’re just a traitor and a cowar–”

“Huon! Enough! I’m not going to keep babying you two. You’re adults, you’re soldiers, and more importantly, you’re  _leaders._ Be examples for once and cut it out!” Jabali turned his head to look at Sinne. “You, Lieutenant – what did you mean by “my cousin’s affection”? What do I not know?”

Sinne blinked at the Tenno. “You… Oh, this is  _rich._ You had no idea, did you? This whole time? Oh, how wonderful. It seems I haven’t been the only secret they were keeping.”

“Cut the bullshit, Lieutenant.”

They laughed and shook their head, strands of hair flying out of their braid. “This is absolutely incredible. You never realized it? Amazing.”

_“Lieutenant.”_

“They were fucking. This entire time, right under your nose, they were fucking.”

Silence fell over the trio. Jabali felt Huon fidget uncomfortably in his grasp, his movements rippling through the water that pinned him to the wall. The Tenno stared at Sinne, then at Huon, then back at Sinne. He finally fixed his gaze on Huon. “You  _what.”_

Huon avoided the elder brother’s eyes. Jabali moved closer. “You were doing  _what_  with my sibling?”

“Look, I obviously care more about them than this asshole,” Huon said, nodding in Sinne’s direction, “so let’s just focus on getting them back. It’d be a lot easier if, y’know, they actually told us what happened and where they were.”

“No, wait, hold the fuck up.”

“Hold the fuckup? You already are, Castus.”

“Shut up, Lieutenant. I’m thinking.” Each moment he witnessed when Yaku’ and Huon were together in the same room flashed through his mind, piecing it all together: the strange attachment Yaku’ had to an injured Grineer, aborting the mission to keep him alive; the same Grineer trying to follow their unconscious form into an operating theater when they were shot, only to be blocked by medical personnel; the sudden cooperation with Steel Meridian when before there was only animosity; the subtle, almost subconscious shifting towards each other during meetings.

Jabali glared daggers at Huon. “How long has this been going on?” he demanded.

“You remember when they walked out of a room all beat up with a hickey on their neck?”

“That was you!?”

“Yep.”

“Wh– They hate Grineer!”

“Yeah, I’m still not sure how it all happened. Look, can we get back to trying to rescue them?”

Sinne scoffed. “It’s a recovery mission at this point,” they muttered, and the mood turned somber once again.

Jabali withdrew the tendrils of water from both of them and scraped his locs away from his face. “Rescue or recovery, we need to find them. We don’t know if they’re–” He closed his eyes and sighed heavily. “As of right now, they’re only missing. Lieutenant, will you disclose their last known location to us?”

“Mm. No,” Sinne said, and turned to leave. “It won’t do you any good. I’ve seen what the Infestation does; whatever’s left of them is going to be unrecognizable. Besides, even if you  _do_ find their remains, you’ll end up the same way. They should’ve stuck to the Tatema military motto; I sure am.”

Jabali rolled his shoulders and tightened his hands into fists. He understood why Huon punched them: they were an insufferable asshole who couldn’t care less about the wellbeing of others. They hadn’t even shed a tear when they were told of the fate of their unit. “And what motto is that, Lieutenant?”

“’Caring gets you killed.’ I’m going to get my nose fixed.”

Jabali and Huon watched the Orokin until they disappeared from view. The two men looked back at each other. “Guess it’s up to us,” Jabali murmured. “Where do–”

A disheveled Red Veil operative fell into the room. “Sir! Castus, sir, it’s– We have reports– Infested activity–”

“Slow down. Take a deep breath.” Jabali stepped towards the operative, resting his hands on her shoulders. “Tell me what happened.”

The operative nodded and sucked in several deep breaths, gathering her thoughts. “There’s been a massive spike in Infested activity across the system. Four Phorids have manifested around Pluto, Phobos, Mars, and Eris. There’s been an outbreak on Earth, Sedna, and Venus – all within the past seventy-two hours.”

Jabali frowned and began pacing. “Send scouts to each of the locations. Report any unusual activity, but kill  _nothing._ Mobilize containment units for all of the outbreaks. Measure Void energy levels, if possible.”

“…Void energy, sir? That’s not protocol.”

“We’re looking for a Tenno and their Warframe. Measure Void energy levels. Go.”

“Yes, sir.” The operative bowed at the waist and scuttled out of the room.

Jabali sighed and sat down heavily, dragging his hands down his face with a groan. “I don’t know what to do. I have no idea where to start or what to look for or– or anything. They’re somewhere out there and they’re lost and probably terrified out of their wits and I can’t  _do_ anything about it. They’re practically my sibling and I’ve gone and lost them. What kind of brother am I if I can’t even protect my own family?”

Huon crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. “We’re getting them back. I don’t care how long it takes. We’re getting them back, and we’re getting them back  _alive.”_


	3. Chapter 3

Three months into their assimilation, Yaku’’s spirit broke.

Their body was no longer their own. It belonged wholly to the Infestation, which used it as a template to build mockeries of themself – siblings that shambled alongside the husk that was once Yaku’. Only a small part of them remained; they were cornered in their own mind, watching the Infestation as it ripped away their freedom piece by piece and forced them to cower and hide.

Their eye turned toward the massive figure in the center of the room, their eyestalk undulating gently. Lephantis set one foot down beside the miniscule Tenno as if to beckon them upwards. Its influence pressed heavily on their consciousness; they didn’t bother trying to resist.

Their body moved of its own accord, climbing Lephantis. Yaku’ watched their hands sink into the Infested tissue before them and pull themself higher and higher until they stood in the junction where all three heads met. Far below, three Warframes ran into the chamber.

_Unburden yourself from this mortal coil,_ Lephantis sang, Yaku’’s voice joining it as the Infestation surged towards the intruders.  _Join us._

The fight lasted mere minutes and ended with all three Warframes crushed beneath Lephantis. Yaku’ allowed themself a brief flash of pity before they sealed up their emotions again. Lephantis turned its attention towards them and pressed on their mind.

_You have stopped struggling, Lyaké._

Yaku’ turned their gaze inwards, staring at the manifestation of Lephantis in their mind. It hadn’t addressed what was left of their former self in weeks.  _No one is coming for me,_  they replied.  _No one cares._

Lephantis seemed satisfied with their answer, its presence retreating.  _This is only the beginning._

—————————————————————————————— 

“I’m not saying I’m angry that you and Yaku’ were– … _are_ together, Huon, I just wish someone would’ve told me beforehand so that I could… properly adjust. Bringing it up after they’ve gone missing isn’t exactly the most convenient time,” Jabali said as he jogged alongside the Meridian eximus captain, piloting his Hydroid. “You know they were tortured by Grineer, right?”

Huon shot him a look and Jabali raised his hands in defense. “I’m just making sure. I don’t know how long you two have been… dating? Are you dating?”

“I don’t know,” Huon admitted. “Nothing’s official, we haven’t talked about it, but… it feels like it, sometimes. I don’t know what they think it is.” He scanned the Infested hallways ahead. “I’m afraid I’ll never get the chance to ask.”

An uneasy silence fell between the two and the sounds of the Grineer galleon rushed in. The Infestation had turned the galleon into a breeding ground for itself: boils and Infested tissue covered the walls and ceilings and spilled onto the floors, creating narrow paths for Jabali, Huon, and the rest of the Meridian unit to pick their way through. Entire corridors were blocked off by Infested tissue and every so often a charger or runner would attack, only to be cut down by Jabali before it could do any major damage.

One of the Meridian soldiers connected to the comms channel, her voice cutting through in a burst of static. “Castus, sir? Why are we here? You said this was a cleanup mission, but there’s hardly any Infested around.”

Jabali signaled for the unit to stop. He turned slowly and his arms fell to his sides as the unit came to a halt. Huon glanced at the Hydroid and frowned behind his mask. “Castus…?”

Jabali sighed and tapped his forefinger against his rifle, connecting to the unit’s comms. “I’m sure you all have heard of the missing Tenno by now. For three months we have been unable to find them because of an uncooperative third party who was with them when they went missing. Until now, we had no idea where they last were.”

“…Sir?”

“Three months ago, the same day the Tenno went missing, a squadron of Grineer soldiers were sent to contain and hopefully destroy a Phorid manifestation. The squadron was reported to be eliminated, but the manifestation still disappeared. This galleon is presumably where the manifestation first occured. The Tenno was piloting an Equinox frame bearing Red Veil colors and the Red Veil emblem. If you see anything, speak up.”

One of the soldiers towards the back of the formation fidgeted with his gun and looked away. Jabali leaned to the side and fixed him with a stare. “Do you have something to share, soldier?”

The soldier startled and looked back at Jabali, then at his own feet. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other and picked at a bit of paint on his weapon. “Well, sir, we passed by something earlier. I thought it was a hallucination, from– from all the spores, but my mask is functioning fine, I checked. It, um, looked like a Warframe covered in Infestation.”

“Where?” Jabali pushed past the other Meridian soldiers and grabbed the speaker by the shoulders. “Where? When? Do you remember?”

“Um, yes, sir. It was about ten minutes ago, when we passed through the big open area.”

“Go. Lead the way. Now,” Jabali commanded, shoving the soldier forwards. The unit broke into a sprint and Jabali fell back to run beside Huon. He looked at the eximus captain. “We’ll find them. I promise.”

The open area was the perfect size for a Phorid manifestation to fight comfortably. Standing to the side of the crater in the center was a lump of Infested tissue, partially calcified. Huon and Jabali raced towards it and skidded to a stop, both men already reaching to tear off chunks of tissue. 

Jabali unsheathed his skana and sheared off a section covering a limb, watching it fall. A faint glimmer caught his eye and he glanced down. He knelt and cut away a small section of tissue; orange metal reflected the dim light and he sank his Hydroid’s fingers into the spongy ground, gripping the object and wrenching it from its prison.

In his hands laid Yaku’’s opticor. He stood slowly and turned to Huon, staring at the opticor all the while. “Huon…” he murmured. “This… was undoubtedly theirs.”

The Meridian eximus captain looked up from a patch of revealed carapace and glanced at the unit standing idle behind the two men. He thumbed the carapace gently and sighed. “Call for extraction and go on ahead. We’ll follow shortly.”

As the unit marched towards extraction, Huon and Jabali continued to excavate the Warframe. They both knew it belonged to Yaku’; it bore Red Veil colors and the striking silhouette of the Equinox helmet was visible even under the Infested tissue.

A soft sniffling caught Jabali’s attention. On the opposite side of the Equinox, Huon tried to blink back tears even as they streamed down his face. Jabali’s hands stilled and he watched the eximus captain for a moment before reaching over and clasping his shoulder. “Hey,” he murmured, “we’re gonna find them.”

“I  _know._ I’m not giving up.” Huon’s voice cracked on the last syllable and he ducked his head, moving to wipe away his tears before he realized he still wore a mask. Jabali tilted his Hydroid’s head sympathetically, but said nothing and went back to freeing the Equinox from the Infested tissue.

The idle Warframe stood clean and tall in no time. Its red and grey carapace shone in the dim light and Jabali paced a circle around it, arms crossed. “What can we figure out from this right now?” he asked himself, examining the frame. “They were fighting a Phorid, we know that much. The ground is Infested tissue and spongy to the touch; it’s possible the Phorid somehow controlled the ground to soften under their Warframe, then harden around their feet so they couldn’t escape – like living concrete, almost, and if the Phorid can control other Infested, then…”

Jabali stopped pacing and looked at Huon. “How much do you know about them?”

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Do you know about their–” He gestured at his helmet where his right eye would be. “–thing?”

“We’ve had sex, Jabali. Of course I know about their Infestation.”

“Right. Didn’t need to know that. Anyways, if the Phorid could control the Infested ground, then…”

“…It’s possible it controlled Yaku’,” Huon finished. Both men exchanged glances and Jabali reached for the Equinox’s head, missing the spark that jumped between his frame and the idle one before him. He turned the helmet from side to side, examining the expressionless carapace. A dull hum started up inside the frame and orange energy flickered in its channels; Jabali jerked his hands away and stepped back, but it was too late.

The Equinox shuddered to life. Its joints unlocked and it collapsed to its knees, grasping for the Hydroid in front of it.Its fingers wrapped around Jabali’s wrist and it dragged him down to its level.  _“Please,”_  it gasped, its voice staticky and warped.  _“Please, save them! They’re broken, they–”_

The Equinox stopped moving. The energy faded and the audible  _click_ of locking joints signalled its idle state once again. Huon and Jabali stared at the prone Equinox, kneeling with an iron grip on Jabali’s Warframe.

“I thought they couldn’t move on their own!?” The blood had drained from Huon’s face. “What was that!? What did it mean by ‘they’re broken’!?”

“I don’t know,” Jabali responded. “I’ve never seen that before. I mean, Warframe sentience isn’t a new concept, but  _this?_ I’ve never seen it like  _this._ Not when the Operator is nowhere in sight.” He paused for a moment, thinking, then continued. “We need to take this back to a relay. Maybe back to their Orbiter, if–”

“Their Orbiter is circling this galleon. I saw it through the window before we landed,” Huon reminded him.

“I know, but I don’t think we can get into it. I’ve never been on their Orbiter; I don’t have access,” Jabali explained as he pried the Equinox’s fingers off of his wrist.

“I do.”

Jabali ripped the Equinox’s fingers from his arm in shock. He watched the limb drop to the frame’s side, then turned and fixed Huon with a stare. “You’ve  _got_ to be shitting me.”

“What?”

“I’m their  _brother._ They’ve never let me on their Orbiter, but you get to be on there?” He drew his Hydroid to its full height, towering over Huon. He hefted the idle Equinox into his arms as best as he could with it frozen in such an awkward position. “Let’s go. There’s no way Shatha will let me in, but he’s familiar with you. I’ll give you the Warframe; you can handle it, can’t you? Also, grab their opticor. They spent a lot of time on it.”

——————————————————————————————

Onboard the Orbiter, Huon was hooking up the Equinox. Shatha hovered beside him, flickering anxiously. “The Operator has not been here in three standard months. Where have they been?”

“That’s what I’m trying to find out. How do I get this thing working?”

“Ah… Erm, that will be difficult. The Warframes are powered by Transference energy – that is, a unique energy signature given off only by the Tenno due to their exposure to the Void. Each Tenno has a unique signature of their own. Unless you are able to produce a Transference energy signature similar enough to the Operator, this Warframe will remain idle,” Shatha explained. His emerald green form tilted towards Huon as if he were watching him. Huon stood and took a step back from the Equinox. As it slowly powered up and began making repairs, he inspected the Orbiter.

A fine layer of dust coated every surface. The foundry idled, occasionally pinging softly with a reminder to collect the waiting items. The stasis chambers were all full; Yaku’ had placed Thani in stasis before going to fight the Phorid. A Vaykor marelok rested on its side on the mod worktable, its stats pulled up on the datapad beside it.

Huon made his way up to the command console. Just like the rest of the Orbiter, it was covered in a fine layer of dust. Navigation hummed to life as Huon approached, listing various alerts and invasions throughout the system. Their inbox blinked steadily; they had messages waiting for them. Huon fought the urge to open them, knowing full well that it wouldn’t help.

He turned and descended into the Orbiter’s belly, walking past the arsenal, down towards Yaku’’s bedroom. His footsteps echoed loudly and stirred up dust. He could hear his heartbeat without trying to.

The closer he got to their bedroom, the thicker the layer of dust became. He absentmindedly swiped his finger along a wall and stopped to stare at the stark white line, hidden underneath the grey. With a shake of his head, he entered their bedroom.

The lights flickered on overhead, sensing his movement, and the first thing he noticed was the bed: unmade, with the blankets twisted around and a pillow on the floor. A glass of water sat on the bedside table. A Kubrow carving laid next to it with a note attached. A framed Red Veil sigil hung on the wall, celebrating their exalted status. Everywhere he turned, Yaku’’s essence surrounded him, and for once he let it comfort him.

Huon heard the arsenal beep faintly and sighed. He walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it, his hand ghosting over the space where Yaku’ would have laid – where they would have pressed up against him for warmth and he would have pulled them closer, held them tighter, silently promising to protect them when they couldn’t do it themself.

Look how that turned out.

Huon laid back on the bed, gathering a blanket into his arms and pressing it to his face. It smelled almost like woodsmoke, with a hint of bitterness that made it unique. Huon allowed himself a small smile and wondered how many times they’d accidentally singed their own bedclothes; with how many blackened spots lined the edges, he could only guess.

He laid there for nearly an hour, his mind wandering back to his route through the Orbiter. There were no signs of struggle, just a layer of dust coating every inch. They hadn’t left any note indicating where they were going or what they planned on doing, but why would they? It was their Orbiter, and they didn’t expect to go missing. It wouldn’t have helped Huon and Jabali anyways; they’d found their Equinox already.

Huon sat up slowly, still holding the blanket to his face, and reached for the Kubrow carving. It was unrefined, but recognizable, and he ran his thumb over the nicks and grooves that showed Yaku’’s dedication to it. The attached note came loose and fluttered down to rest in his lap; it was on parchment and folded in half, but there was writing on the inside in Yaku’’s scrawl. He set the carving in his lap and picked up the note, opening it.

_For HUON. Finish after Phorid. DON’T FORGET NEXT TIME YOU SEE HIM._

It was real. What they felt for him was  _real._ He wasn’t imagining the affection they showed him, subtle or not. It was all  _real._  Huon hid his face in the blanket the moment he felt tears pricking at his eyes, crumpling the note in his hand. The first sob that manifested, he choked back; the second forced its way out of him with a broken noise and he hunched over, sinking his teeth into the blanket and trying to hold back every sound his traitorous body wanted him to make.

All the hurt, all the grief and anger and helplessness and regret, it all coalesced and shaped itself into a single diamond-hard point of rage. Huon tore the blanket from his face and grabbed the first thing in reach, hurling it against the wall with a wordless roar. The object broke and clattered to the ground and Huon roared again, turning to deliver a vicious kick to the bed but stopping at the last moment. He sank to his knees and rested his forehead against the mattress, gathering the blankets up in his fists and taking deep breaths to steady himself and not bothering to wipe away the tears rolling down his face.

It was only after he began looking for the Kubrow carving did he realize that that was what he had thrown. He stared at the two pieces scattered across the floor in absolute silence, hardly even daring to breathe. “No…” he whispered hoarsely, his fingers twitching.

“No! No, no, no! I’m so sorry, oh, stars, please. I’m so sorry,” he cried, scrambling across the floor to cup the broken carving in his hands. “No, please,  _no._ Oh,  _stars.”_ He pressed the pieces together, scrubbed at his face with the back of his hand, and pressed the pieces together again. Huon staggered to his feet and stumbled back to the bedside table, searching for some sort of adhesive.

He searched the entire Orbiter from stem to stern, rummaging through whatever drawers and pockets he could find, but there was no adhesive anywhere on the ship. As he stared down at the broken carving he cursed his anger; Yaku’ had left him something special, something they made with their own two hands, and he’d gone and destroyed it like it was nothing.

Cephalon Shatha materialized next to him. “…Non-Operator?” he murmured warily, hovering closer. “The Equinox Warframe has been fully repaired. I… do not understand the emotions of organic creatures, but you  _are_ listed as partial owner to this craft. If you so desire, I can–”

“What?” Huon lifted his head to look at Shatha’s glittering emerald form. “I’m listed as what?”

“…Partial owner to this craft. If you so desire, I can reroute residual Transference energy from the somatic link to activate the Equinox Warframe. I do not know what you intend to glean from it, as you are unable to pilot it yourself, but it is not my place to question you.”

“Ah, um, yes. Do it.” Huon returned his gaze to the broken carving in his hand. Yaku’ had given him full permissions to their Orbiter; he could enter and leave whenever he wanted, pilot it, use their foundry… almost anything Yaku’ could do, Huon could as well. He instinctively reached up to wipe away tears, but his face was dry; he’d cried as much as he was able.

Before he could process what Yaku’’s gesture meant, the Equinox hummed to life. It stumbled forwards and caught itself, then looked into Huon’s red-rimmed eyes.  _“You. I remember you. Please, you’re their only hope, you have to save them.”_

“Where are they? You have to tell me, I–”

_“They’re broken, they– Infestation– High concentration, so many–”_ The Equinox’s voice cut out over and over and its body language grew more panicked.  _“Derelict– I can’t– All gone–”_

The Equinox fell silent. Its joints locked with a  _click_ and the energy channels faded. Huon waited with bated breath to see if it would move again, if Shatha found enough Transference energy to fuel it again so he could get some actual answers.

Nothing happened.

Shatha gave him the Cephalon version of a frown. “I am sorry, non-Operator. That is all that was left. Without the Operator, there is no way to get more Transference energy.”

Huon swore and clenched his fist, visibly resisting the urge to punch something. “Alright. Shatha, how many known derelicts are there?”

“Eight thousand twenty-nine, non-Operator.”

“Fuck. Alright, how many are Corpus, Grineer, and Orokin?”

“Five thousand twenty-four, two thousand six hundred fifty-seven, and three hundred forty-eight, respectively.”

“…Contact Jabali.”

Shatha dematerialized and a small holoscreen popped up in his place with Jabali’s name. Not ten seconds after the holoscreen appeared, Jabali’s voice rang through the comms. “Huon! Did you find anything?”

“The Equinox said something about a derelict. That’s all I got before it shut down again. Mobilize containment units and scouts for the least dangerous derelicts and we’ll work our way from there.”

Silence fell on Jabali’s end. After a long moment, he spoke. “Huon, we’re talking literally  _thousands_ of possibilities. We don’t have the numbers for that. We barely have enough to handle four Phorid manifestations and three outbreaks all at once, there’s no way we can possibly cover that many–”

“You can’t give up!” Huon snapped, clutching the broken carving tighter. “You can’t give up on them. Not yet. Do you understand? They’re out there somewhere and we can’t just abandon them, not when they probably already think we have.”

Jabali’s sigh was audibly strained. “I’ll… I’ll do my best. It’s going to take a long time, you know that?”

“I know. I’m willing to wait.”

“Huon, I… I’m talking  _years._ You understand that, right? We’re stretched thin as it is. These outbreaks are refusing to go down. We have  _maybe_ one full squadron that can scout and contain.”

“I’m not. Giving. Up.  _Ever.”_

Jabali sighed again. “I’ll… I’ll contact other Tenno and see if they’re willing to help, but we die every day. I don’t think they’ll care to help a stranger if it means risking their life for another’s. We’re more useful to the system alive, and if we can’t escape from something on our own, we’re better off– …Nevermind.”

Huon gritted his teeth. He knew what Jabali was going to say. He knew Jabali meant that even if Yaku’ was still alive at this point, three months deep into their absence with their survival rate perilously low, that they were already better off dead. Huon opened his hand and looked at the carving, then at the holoscreen. “I’ll see you at the relay.”

“Yeah. Stay safe, Huon.”

“You, too.”


	4. Chapter 4

A year into the search for Yaku’, and Huon was making little progress.

Huon leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, watching Jabali pace back and forth in front of the starmap in the center of the room. “We’ve searched well over two hundred derelicts in the last nine months,” Jabali began, “with no sign of Yaku’. The only lead we had was that Equinox and it got us started in the right direction, but there’s no way we can keep this up. I’m running our scouts and containment units ragged, even after the Phorid exterminations cleared up about a dozen of each. The outbreaks still haven’t been subdued fully and are only getting worse, which leeches up even  _more_ of our resources, but…”

“But?” Huon prompted, raising an eyebrow. 

Jabali hummed thoughtfully and kept staring at the starmap, chewing on his knuckles.  _“But_ I managed to find a Tenno willing to help. Their name is Charls and they’ve studied the Infestation and how to kill it for a long, long time. They’ll help us search the derelicts while you try and find out more from the Equinox. You still can’t take it off the Orbiter, right?”

“Right, there’s some kind of force field stopping me. Shatha said there isn’t any more Transference energy left on the ship, either, and since I’m the only one who can get on the Orbiter, it’s kind of… hopeless. The Equinox is a dead end, Jabali. Let me come with you and the other Tenno. I’m a competent fighter, you know this. Don’t keep me locked up in a relay or searching the Orbiter for the thousandth time,” he insisted, pushing away from the wall.

Jabali shook his head without looking at Huon. “Nope. I won’t allow it. If anything happened to you, Yaku’ would never forgive me. We’re dealing with too much Infestation on a daily basis for it to be safe for you; it’s best you stay away from it all where you won’t get hurt.”

Huon growled in frustration. “Fine.”

Jabali finally looked at him. “I’m sorry, Huon. I know you want to be out there looking for them.”

“Of course I do! They’re my partner, I lo–”

Huon stopped. Jabali’s sympathetic expression turned to one of utter surprise. “You wha–”

“Nothing! Nothing.”

“I thought you two were just fucking, but I guess your dedication to finding them says otherwi–”

“Okay, enough!” Huon yelled. “That’s enough of that! I’m going to go check the Orbiter again.” He backpedaled out of both the conversation and the room, breaking into a jog as he headed towards the hangar. 

Jabali watched him with a grin until the door closed, then turned back to the starmap. Nine months of bonding was starting to pay off for him. “It’s a good thing he’s trying to find you, Yaku’,” he muttered, “wherever you are.”

——————————————————————————————

Everything in the Orbiter was in the same place it had been when Huon first stepped foot into it nine months prior, only with less dust. The Kubrow carving was the sole exception, staying with Huon at all times. A thin, barely visible line of adhesive held the two broken pieces together; he’d have to explain that to Yaku’ after he found them.

Huon glanced at Shatha’s hovering emerald form as he walked up to the prone Equinox in the arsenal, shucking his armor and personal effects as he went. “Hello, Shatha.”

The lack of immediate response from the Cephalon was cause for concern; Shatha normally greeted him with various alerts and status on the Infestation outbreaks. Huon turned around and opened his mouth to say something, but as he did, the lights in the Orbiter shut off.

“Shatha, this isn’t funny. Turn the lights back on.”

No answer. A chill ran up Huon’s spine. Shatha was nowhere to be seen.

“Shatha, the lights,” he commanded, backing up towards the Equinox. A soft noise drew his attention towards the foundry, his eyes adjusting to the dark. Was it just his imagination, or did he see a flicker of movement?

He blinked, and the figure appeared. For one hopeful moment he thought it was Yaku’ – then his mind caught up with him and he remembered Naki.

“Cold… So cold, so loud, so much. Too much. Lost and broken. Nobody’s coming, nobody’s coming. Nobody remembers,” Naki whispered. Its back was to Huon, something he was grateful for. He wasn’t sure he could handle seeing Yaku’‘s face on someone else.

Naki turned slowly, shivering and rubbing its arms. Its bronze eye widened and it stared at Huon – through Huon. Its eyestalk swiveled slowly and scanned the room as Naki watched the man in front of it. “So far. Too long. Nobody remembers, nobody cares, nobody’s coming. Nobody knows. Where? Where, where, where? Help. So cold… Huon?”

The eximus captain’s heart leapt into his throat.  _That’s not them,_ he reminded himself,  _it’s just a doppelganger. It’s not real._

Naki’s eye widened further. “Real…” it repeated softly. “Gone… Siblings – mockeries – copies of copies of copies. A dozen warped faces. Huon? Missing…”

It took a step towards Huon and fell. Huon dashed forwards on instinct; he was already reaching for Naki by the time he realized what he was doing. He jerked his hands back as if it was a fire he got too close to. “You’re not real,” he hissed.

Naki’s fingers wrapped tight around his wrist and dragged him in close.

“Shit!” he yelped. He didn’t know it could actually touch him.

“You need to help them,” it croaked, its bronze stare locking him in place. “They’re  _broken._ They’re  _dying.”_

“…What do you mean ‘broken’? How are they dying?”

“Find them! Not enough time, Infestation closing in, buckling under pressure.” A powerful shudder wracked Naki’s body and it gasped, its gaze unfocusing.

“We’ve been searching the derelicts, we haven’t found anything–”

 _“Lephantis,”_  Naki rasped. “They’re with Lephantis. Don’t kill it! They will die. Find them.  _Find them!”_  it screamed, shivering violently.

Huon blinked, and Naki was gone. Yaku’ was with Lephantis – a millennia-old monstrosity – and he had no idea where to find it. As the lights turned back on he stared at the space where Naki was, his mind processing the information.

Cephalon Shatha materialized to his right. “Non-Operator? I sensed Void energy, are you alright?”

Huon looked at the Cephalon’s emerald form. “How do I find Lephantis?”

“Simply navigate to it, non-Operator. I will highlight its location on navigation so you may find it easier.”

“…What the fuck do you mean, Shatha?”

“Ah, well, the Operator has been tracking it for quite some time. I believe they were actively avoiding its presence, perhaps due to it being a powerful Infested entity? I am… not quite sure of the Operator’s intentions, but they have made no move to attack it before.”

Huon sat back on his heels and pressed his hands to his forehead. Not only did he know where Yaku’ was, he could get there. Suddenly he had not just a lead, but the start of a plan. He could save them – but he had to act fast. “Shatha, plot a course for Lephantis and get the Orbiter started.”

“Of course, non-Operator.” As Shatha obeyed, Huon grabbed his armor and personal effects from the small pile by the entrance. The engines hummed to life and the Orbiter lifted away from the hangar, sending the eximus captain sliding a short distance before the ship stabilized.

Huon was checking over his armor when the incoming call arrived. He didn’t even look up, accepting the call without a word as he searched his belongings. Jabali’s voice came through, warped by subtle static. “What the  _hell_ are you doing, Huon? You can’t just– you– how the hell are you piloting their Orbiter? More importantly, that’s evidence that we could use to find them! Bring it back! Where the hell are you even going!?”

“They’re with Lephantis,” Huon snapped, rubbing at a dent in his armor. “I’m going after them.”

“Huon, no! You’ll die! I know you care about them, but this is reckless behavior! We need to come up with a decent plan!” Jabali’s voice rose high in panic and Huon heard him calling for backup to chase the Orbiter.

“I have a plan. I’m just a single bombard; I’ll bait them out and bring them back.”

“Huon, that’s not a plan! Get back here!”

“No. This is my chance and I’m taking it.”

“How do you even know they’re wi–” Jabali’s voice cut out as Huon closed the comms.

Huon sat back on his heels and began strapping himself into his armor. The familiar movements steadied his shaking hands and evened out his breathing, his mind settling with every section that clicked into place. He tucked medical supplies into the space between his armor; the Kubrow carving followed almost automatically, coming to rest over his heart.

With a sigh, he pulled his mask over his head and started preparing.

——————————————————————————————

Eight of Yaku’’s Infested siblings entered Lephantis’ massive, freezing chamber, dragging a struggling figure behind them. Even as a prisoner in their own mind, Yaku’ sensed that the other four were still fighting the rest of the tenacious Grineer unit. Their Infested siblings – each one part of a dozen warped, mangled bodies that only vaguely resembled their Tenno template – stopped in front of Lephantis and instinctively hudded closer to each other and to the colossal being, seeking the intense warmth radiating from it.

Lephantis pressed on their consciousness as if to address them.  _This one dares to defile us,_ it rumbled.  _You are to free it from its mortal coil._

Yaku’ stared back at the shifting mass inhabiting their mind in stubborn silence. Lephantis turned their head towards the struggling figure; their siblings hauled the figure to their knees, ridding them of their mask and hood. 

Rich brown hair tumbled out in a long, sleek braid and a bandage sat across a proud nose. Sinne glared up at Lephantis, defiance lurking in their near-black eyes. A flicker of movement drew their gaze to the small humanoid descending one of the monstrous legs. “Just kill me. It’s faster than trying to turn me into one of you and at least I’ll have my digni–”

Yaku’ stepped out of Lephantis’ shadow and Sinne froze. The larger Caddo watched, slack-jawed, as their very much  _alive_  cousin walked up to them. “Lyaké …? I thought you were dead…?”

Yaku’ cupped Sinne’s face; the tips of long, black, sickle-shaped talons pressed into their skin and the Tenno’s icy palms were only slightly warmer than the chamber itself.  _“We are not dead,”_  they rasped.  _“We are the immortal vessel.”_

The remaining four Infested siblings staggered into the chamber. Sinne twisted to look over their shoulder at the blood-covered mockeries with their sagging faces. “Oh,  _stars,”_ they breathed.

Yaku’ forced Sinne to look at them again. The Infested Tenno tilted Sinne’s head from side to side as if they were performing an inspection. With a miniscule nod, Yaku’ sank their talons into Sinne’s face.

Sinne jerked and choked on a pained gasp, their eyes rolling back into their head. The talons punctured their flesh, scraping against their teeth, and they shuddered in the Tenno’s grip as the Infestation entered their bloodstream.

——————————————————————————————

 _Leave them alone! You’re killing them! Please, stop!_ Yaku’ screamed. They threw their consciousness against Lephantis’ control over their body and watched in abject horror as the Infestation slowly overwhelmed Sinne.

 _They’re all I have left! Please, don’t do this!_ The Infestation started in Sinne’s face. It bloomed outward from the talons piercing their cheeks, rippling under the surface of their skin and changing the Orokin from the inside out. Sinne writhed like a worm stuck on a fish hook.

 _Please. Please, stop this. Let them live,_ they begged as the Infestation warped Sinne’s body.

 _No one is coming for you,_  Lephantis rumbled, ripping a gaping hole in both their memory and Sinne’s face. The body in front of them toppled over, unmoving.  _No one cares._


	5. Chapter 5

Huon stepped into the derelict. In the distance, a howl rose.

It wasn’t that he was afraid – he was terrified, for both himself and Yaku’ – but the plan he came up with was bare bones and not much else. Huon had no idea what exactly he was facing; a year of searching only produced information he already knew or information that wasn’t relevant to Yaku’.

Not that it mattered, of course. Huon knew where they were now, and he was getting them back even if it killed him. He hefted his jat kittag in one hand and his ogris in the other, listening to the shrieks as they grew closer and counting them one by one.

Thirty-five Infested… against one Huon.

The odds weren’t pretty.

—————————————————————————————— 

Back at Kronia relay, Jabali kicked a console and swore under his breath. Nobody was willing to mobilize and chase Huon, not when Lephantis was involved. Jabali himself couldn’t leave, either; Scoy, Huon’s sibling, wouldn’t leave him alone.

“Puppy! Puppy, puppy, puppy, puppy…” Scoy murmured, rubbing their hands in the fur of Skalia, Jabali’s Kubrow. Jabali turned and watched the manic in silence, leaning against the console. Skalia loved the attention and proved to be a decent distraction for Scoy as she rolled over and presented her soft belly to them. Scoy immediately planted their face into it and dug their fingers into Skalia’s fur again.

“Scoy,” Jabali began, waiting for the manic to look up, “your brother has– Y’know what? I’m just not even gonna dance around it. Your brother can be a giant bag of dicks, and I’m gonna punch him when he gets back.”

Scoy nuzzled their face back into Skalia’s fur and responded with a muffled “He tries!”

Jabali snorted and turned back to the console, pulling up a starmap. Yaku’’s Orbiter – technically Huon’s Orbiter as well, if he was able to command Shatha – was marked by a green triangle that blipped every few seconds. It hovered by a derelict that, to a non-Tenno, would be one of thousands. Unfortunately, Jabali knew it belonged to Lephantis, and Huon was somewhere inside of it trying to get Yaku’ back alive.

“Scoy, watch Skalia. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay!”

——————————————————————————————

There were  _significantly_ more than thirty-five Infested – Huon counted, and lost track after the number broke one hundred. He stood on a mound of Infested bodies, his viper in one hand, his jat kittag in the other, and doing his best to not suffocate on the stench. Instinct told him to rip off the modified mask covering his face and he shivered, tightening his grip on his weapons. He’d have to bear it a little longer, at least until he was back on the Orbiter.

Glowing sludge dripped from burst boils scattered around the small chamber. Spawn pods lay shredded and burnt with partially-developed Infested within. Smoking holes showcased the results of his reckless firing – a challenge issued to Lephantis.

Huon leaned on his jat kittag and holstered the viper at his hip. He allowed his head to droop, willing the exhaustion in his veins to retreat with every ragged breath. His brief respite would end soon and more Infested would swarm him; he had to move quickly if he wanted to find Yaku’ before the endless horde forced him to leave.

At the three-minute mark, Huon straightened up. He hefted the jat kittag in his hands and slid down the mound of Infested bodies, coming to a halt a few meters away and sliding the jat kittag into place across his back. He drew his ogris and sighed heavily, taking aim at a cluster of boils on the wall and lifting his finger to the trigger.

A resounding scream stopped him in his tracks. Huon swiveled to aim down the dark hallway closest to him. Rapid footsteps grew louder, the gait unlike any of the Infested he’d encountered before. He watched the hallway, taking his hand away from his ogris to touch the Kubrow carving nestled in the gap in his armor, and steadied himself.

Yaku’ came hurtling around the corner with a deafening shriek. The sight of them – tongue unfurled to its full length, eyestalk fixed on his armored figure, calcified fangs forming, and shiny black talons extending from their fingers – stunned him. His arms dropped to his side, breath catching in his throat. 

_They were alive._

Huon narrowly dodged the first swipe. Yaku’’s talons almost grazed his mask and he lurched backwards, away from the Infested Tenno. He swore violently and leapt to the side as they launched themself at him again.

_”Meridian!”_ they screamed, talons scraping against his breastplate.  _”Unburden yourself from this mortal coil! Join us!”_

Huon holstered his ogris and drew his jat kittag. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he murmured, low enough so they couldn’t hear, “but Lephantis is still in there. Just… stick with me long enough to get you out of here. Please.”

The next nine minutes were a painful dance between the two: Yaku’ throwing themself at him, Huon barely getting out of the way, back and forth in a twisted waltz as Huon led them away from Lephantis’ chamber. The massive Infested hadn’t caught onto Huon yet – or so he hoped. He allowed Yaku’ to drive him back, watching their movements grow more erratic. 

_”Why do you– We embr– ASSIMILATE.”_

Yaku’’s voice, warped and guttural, sent shivers down Huon’s spine. He gripped his jat kittag tighter and sidestepped a frustrated swipe that went wide. A quick look over his shoulder told him they were only another hundred or so meters from extraction. He turned back to Yaku’ and felt their talons rake across his gauntlets and catch on an edge. Their other hand came down on his mask and they bared their calcified fangs with a snarl.  _”YOUR MISSION ENDS HERE.”_

Huon shoved Yaku’ off of him; they hit the wall with a thud and slumped to the ground, gritting their teeth with a soft groan. Huon tore off his mask, revealing the staples in his jaw and the plates holding his gaping scars together. Yaku’ locked eyes with him and he stared back, unblinking. 

“My mission is  _you.”_

——————————————————————————————

They knew it was him. They knew from the moment Lephantis started using their body to fight him and they hated every second of it. Nobody was supposed to come for them; nobody cared.

Nobody except Huon.

Yaku’ slammed their consciousness against Lephantis’ influence once, twice, three times and felt it give way. They seized control of their body and reached for Huon with their taloned hand.  _”Please–”_

_Please, kill me before I kill you._

_Please, leave before you end up dead._

_Please, stars,_ please,  _get me out of here._

Their words caught in their throat and suddenly Lephantis was back in control, throwing their screaming body at Huon and aiming for the gaps in his armor, but he saw them coming and dodged their gleaming talons. He grabbed them around the waist and their feet left the ground and then Huon was  _running,_ then he was thundering through the Infested hallways and Yaku’ could hear and feel their Infested siblings charging after them as Huon carried them towards extraction – towards  _safety_.

Lephantis turned its rage in on itself, in on Yaku’, and their talons came up to their throat. Yaku’ hurled themself at the influence, their consciousness ripping gaping holes in the presence controlling them – holes that didn’t seal up, because the further they got from the monster, the less power it held over them. Their talons fell away from their throat, leaving behind thin, jagged red lines.

_Get out of my body!_ they roared, forcing the presence back in their mind as they fought tooth and nail for control. They felt Lephantis push back and they laughed, tearing into its influence with everything they had because someone came for them, and even if it wasn’t who they expected they’d be damned if they gave up now.

Their body went limp in Huon’s grasp as they grappled with Lephantis; they didn’t even register him scrambling into the Orbiter and laying their unresponsive form against the wall. The sound of gunshots and Huon’s fury were background noise and Yaku’ brought their consciousness down on Lephantis as though it were a hammer and Lephantis was a nail: over and over and over until the monster’s influence was utterly destroyed, leaving only silence.

For the first time in twelve months, Yaku’ existed alone in their body.

——————————————————————————————

Jabali paced in his Orbiter, fidgeting with the end of one of his locs. Huon had been gone almost a full twenty-four hours; if he wasn’t back soon, Jabali was going to call off the search. “I don’t know what I’d tell Scoy,” he said to Vondas.

“Tell them the truth. They deserve it.”

“They love him, though. He’s practically their older brother, like I am to Yaku’. What if I had gone missing, hm? How could someone tell Yaku’ that without hurting them?”

“Yaku’ and Scoy are two very different people,” Vondas sighed, her dark magenta prism rippling with the sound. “Vondas is sure that Scoy has suffered through loss before; it will hurt, but it will be necessary.”

“…I won’t tell them until I’m certain.”

Vondas sighed again. “The Operator is playing a dangerous game with emotions. There is also an incoming call.”

“Put it through,” Jabali ordered, still fidgeting with the end of one loc. 

Static burst through the comms, then heavy panting. “I got them.”

Jabali’s head whipped around and he stared at the holoscreen. “Huon!?”

“Yeah. I got them. They’re alive. We’ll be at the relay in about twelve hours.” There was a cough, then the connection cut, leaving Jabali watching empty space.

——————————————————————————————

Huon dropped his weapons and scrambled towards the Infested Tenno sprawled against the Orbiter hull, gathering their motionless body into his arms. He held them to his chest, rocking back and forth slowly. “Please,” he begged under his breath. “Please be alive. Please be here.”

Talons clacked softly against his breastplate, finding purchase on the edge of the armor. Yaku’’s free arm slid around the back of his neck and they dragged him closer with a choking sob. “I’m here,” they whimpered, pressing their face into his throat. “I’m here.”

They clung to him as tears made clean tracks down their gore-streaked cheeks; Huon squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face in their matted hair, inhaling shaky breaths. “It can’t have you back,” he promised hoarsely, “not while my heart is still beating.”

He leaned back and turned their face upwards, gazing into their golden eye. “I couldn’t lose you to that rot,” he whispered, and finally –  _finally_ – he let himself cry.

Huon pulled Yaku’ back to his chest. “I was so scared I would,” he murmured.

Yaku’ clung to him tighter, their lungs heaving with every hiccuping sob. “I’m here now. I’m not leaving. I’m safe with you, I–” 

They stopped and swallowed thickly, unable to say the words they wanted to say. They curled their fingers around the edges of his armor and sniffled, tilting their head back to stare up at Huon. “I’m strong with you,” they whispered.

Huon held them tighter and blinked away the tears. “I’m strong with you,” he echoed.

The next few words that slipped out were harsh Grineer syllables, yet somehow… softened. No, not softened.  _Blunted._ Huon spoke slowly, awkwardly, butchering the devotional chants drilled into him and forcing them back together piece by piece to create something wholly unique.

_I will protect you with my life. I am strong – with_ you.

Affection swelled in Yaku’’s chest and they sucked in a deep breath. They knew what to say in return; the words burned in their throat and for once the Hasinai that came out wasn’t shouted or spat, but instead laced with something that they might’ve called  _love_ if they didn’t know any better. 

_“Waya hatu-nawseyata’,”_ they murmured, running the tips of their fingers across his neck, his jaw, his lips, every inch of skin they could reach, memorizing his face by touch alone.  _”Waya hatu-nawseyata’.”_

_——————————————————————————————  
_

When the Orbiter docked, Jabali was there waiting. The door opened and he raced aboard, his heart stuck in his throat as he searched for Huon and Yaku’ – and there they were, tucked against the hull and covered in blood. He swore softly and watched Huon lift his head to look at him.

“Jabali,” Huon croaked, blinking to clear his vision, “they’re okay. They’re asleep.”

“…Can I see them?” Jabali asked, taking a step towards the duo and noting how Huon tightened his grip around Yaku’‘s small form.

“Later,” Huon told him. He stood, still holding Yaku’, and brushed past Jabali, heading out into the relay. Stares followed the bloodied and bruised Grineer who clung to the Tenno in his arms as if they were more precious than any Orokin treasure.

Jabali’s gaze followed the taller man and his hands tightened into fists as tears sprang into his eyes. “It’s been a year,” he whispered shakily, “I just wanted to see them.”

_——————————————————————————————_

Huon nudged Scoy backwards with his knee, silencing the smaller Meridian’s rapid-fire chatter and getting them to release him from their tight grip. “Not now, Scoy.”

“But–” they began.

“I know. I know, but not now. Later,” he told them, pushing past and making a beeline for the lower residential levels of the relay.

“…Okay,” Scoy murmured, watching him go. Skalia trotted up to them and nudged them with her nose, snuffling happily at the resulting hand in her fur.

——————————————————————————————

Yaku’ slept for two full days before nightmares woke them, nestled deep in a pile of blankets and their own dirty clothes. When Huon came back from a food run he found them sitting upright and staring blankly at the wall; the growl emanating from their stomach told him they were hungry, but they said nothing, even after he mentioned it.

“Yaku’? Did… you hear me?” he asked, crossing the room slowly and sitting beside them on the bed. 

They didn’t respond, only stared blankly ahead.

Huon’s heart thudded hard against his ribcage. His hand hovered at their shoulder for a moment before he carefully turned them to face him. “Yaku’? Are you–”

The Tenno’s gaze focused. They blinked at Huon, brow furrowing as if they hadn’t realized he was there until now. They reached for him, only to stop and stare at the gleaming talons. Their mouth formed an  _oh_ but no sound came out and they curled their fingers inwards, hardly noticing Huon’s relieved sigh. “Are you hungry?”

A pause; then, a subtle shake of the head. Huon knew he couldn’t force them to eat despite their body telling them they needed to. “Alright,” he sighed, “let’s get you cleaned up, then.”

The process of getting Yaku’ into the tub was a slow one, but somehow the pair managed it. Yaku’ sat between Huon’s legs with their back to him as he ran a soft washcloth across their broad shoulders, clearing away layers of filth and uncovering the photic channels hidden underneath. He took care around the violet channels; he knew what grazing one meant and apologized every time he brushed over them with the washcloth.

Yaku’ didn’t react.

By the time Huon finished cleaning their back, the water was a murky brown with swirls of deep red and Yaku’ bled from half-healed wounds. He drained and refilled the tub quietly, then climbed back in. “Yaku’,” he murmured, tapping them gently on the shoulder, “I need you to turn around so that I can wash the rest of you.”

Yaku’ shifted and for a moment Huon thought they would do just that, but instead they leaned back against his chest. Huon exhaled shakily and leaned down to kiss the top of their head. “I’m still here. I’m not going anywhere. You’re safe with me.”

Yaku’ peered up at him, then looked away. “I like you,” they whispered.

Huon swore his heart swelled ten times its normal size. He couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across his face and he kissed the top of their head again. “I like you, too,” he replied, “and I need you to turn around for me, okay?”

“…Okay.”

——————————————————————————————

A week after Yaku’’s rescue, Jabali knocked on their door. He fidgeted with his locs and shifted his weight from one foot to the other, listening to the heavy footsteps approaching the door. His mind scrolled through the list of reasons why he should be able to see Yaku’, steeling himself for an argument.

All of those reasons evaporated when Huon opened the door. “What do you want?” he asked, fixing the Tenno with a glare.

“I want to see Yaku’.” Jabali’s words came out in a rush and he ducked his head, blushing fiercely. That wasn’t how he expected it to go.

Huon shook his head and stepped back, starting to close the door. “They’re not ready. They’re barely eating or talking; I can’t allow visitors until they’ve got their strength back.”

Jabali braced his hand against the door, stopping Huon. “I saw them when you first stepped off the Orbiter, even if it was just a glimpse. I know they’ve lost too much weight. I’m their  _brother,_ Huon – shouldn’t I be allowed to see them?”

“Not until they’re stronger. Jabali, you have to understand–”

“Just because you’re the one who rescued them doesn’t mean you’re the only one who loves them!” he yelled, startling Huon. “I love them, too. What if someone tried to keep you from Scoy? What if they disappeared for a year, only for someone to recklessly charge into whatever hellhole they were in and rescue them, and then kept them away from you  _for another week?”_

Huon eyed him for a moment, then nodded and stepped back, allowing Jabali into the residency. “They’re in the bedroom – to the left.”

Jabali made his way to the bedroom and paused in the doorway. There they were: sitting up in their nest of blankets, dressed in a shirt several sizes too big, rubbing the sleep from their eye – his tiny, perfect sibling. “Yaku’,” he breathed, unable to tear his gaze away.

Yaku’ looked over and squinted. “Oh, Jabali.  _Dayea’hut,”_ they murmured, beckoning him into the bedroom.

He hesitated briefly but ultimately obeyed, taking slow steps toward the smaller Tenno. “How are you feeling?” he asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“…Hungry,” they admitted, “but I don’t want to eat.”

Jabali frowned; he extended an arm to Yaku’ and they leaned in, allowing the hug. “You’ve lost a lot of weight that you need to regain.”

“I know. I just don’t feel like it. I’m too tired.”

“Mm.” He decided not to press the issue further. “New haircut, huh?”

Yaku’’s hand flew to their head, where the matted tangle of hair had been removed – as had their talons, Jabali noted. They ran their fingers through the short strands, lingering over a patch of grey. “Huon did it.”

“He did a good job.”

“Yeah, I did.” The Meridian himself entered the bedroom and leaned against the doorway with crossed arms. Jabali offered a smile and Huon returned it, watching the siblings quietly for a minute.

“Yaku’!” Scoy’s voice startled all three people and the manic charged into the bedroom; Huon caught them before they tackled the smaller Tenno. “You’re alive! You’re awake! You’re talking! I thought you were tubedead almost but you’re okay!”

Yaku’ glanced at Huon.  _Tubedead?_ they mouthed; Huon shook his head, promising an explanation at a later date. Skalia bounded in after Scoy and jumped onto the bed, headbutting Jabali between the shoulder blades and squirming between him and Yaku’. Scoy and Huon joined the group on the bed and for once, everything seemed like it was going to turn out okay, in the end.


End file.
